Contemplative Programs
Program Description
Contemplative Programs are offered Monday-Thursdays, 5:30pm during weeks 2-10 of Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters. Join us for weekly opportunities to engage with others in the community for meditation and yoga.
Open to Stanford affiliates. Sessions are free and no pre-registration is required. Bring your own yoga mat for yoga sessions.
Jump to Winter Quarter 2026 Schedule >
Candlelight Yoga in Memorial Church
Mondays, 5:30 pm: Memorial Church
Begin the week with clarity and ease in a space dedicated to quiet reflection and contemplation. This all-levels class includes gentle stretching, mindful breathwork, and a guided yoga nidra relaxation for stress relief and nervous system reset. Open to students, faculty, and staff—free of charge. Bring a yoga mat and a friend, and leave feeling balanced and ready for the week ahead.
Sara Elizabeth Ivanhoe is a Doctoral Candidate in Yoga Philosophy at the Graduate Theological Union, writing her dissertation on yoga and meditation for sleep. With nearly 30 years of teaching experience, she holds a Master’s in Yoga Studies from Loyola Marymount University and completed three 500-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings. She is the Founding Director of YogaUSC, Co-Director of USC Yoga Teacher Training, and a recipient of USC's Sustainability Across Curriculum grant. In 2024, she began teaching at Stanford, focusing on movement, meditation, and sleep.
Relax + Center with Yoga
Tuesdays, 5:30 pm: CIRCLE Sanctuary (Old Union, 3rd floor)
Relax + Center with Yoga Class with Diane Saenz. A traditional, easy-to-learn system of Hatha Yoga which encourages proper breathing and emphasizes relaxation. A typical class includes breathing exercises, warm-ups, postures and deep relaxation. The focus is on a systematic and balanced sequence that builds a strong foundation of basic asanas from which variations may be added to further deepen the practice. This practice is both for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to help calm the mind and reduce tension.
Diane Saenz (she/her) is a yoga instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the use of yoga and meditation to improve mental and physical well-being. Following a classical approach, she leans on asana and pranayama as tools to invite participants into the present moment. Diane completed her 500 hour level training with the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Organization in South India, followed by specializations in adaptive yoga and yoga for kids. She has taught adult and youth audiences around the globe.
Yogifest: Yoga for Everyone
Tuesdays, 9:00 pm: CIRCLE Sanctuary (Old Union, 3rd floor)
Yogifest: Yoga for Everyone is led by Akash Shah '26.
All-Levels Yoga Wednesdays
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm: CIRCLE Sanctuary (Old Union, 3rd floor)
This all-levels yoga class offers a balanced, accessible practice designed to support both physical ease and mental clarity. Classes typically integrate mindful movement, breath awareness, and simple contemplative elements to help release accumulated tension while maintaining stability and strength. Postures are approached with options and modifications, making the practice appropriate for a wide range of bodies and experience levels. Emphasis is placed on sustainable movement, nervous system regulation, and cultivating practices that translate beyond the mat and into daily life.
Sara Elizabeth Ivanhoe, M.A., Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Yoga Philosophy from the Graduate Theological Union. Her dissertation, In Search of Sleep: A Comprehensive Study of Yoga Philosophy, Therapeutic Practice, and Improving Sleep in Higher Education, examines the integration of contemplative practices within university settings. She joined the Stanford community in Spring 2024, where she has taught Sleep for Peak Performance and Meditation through Stanford Living Education (SLED), and currently teaches Yoga for Stress Management in the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER). Dr. Ivanhoe is the Founding Director Emeritus of YogaUSC and previously lectured in USC’s Mind–Body Department, where she also served on faculty wellness boards. A practitioner and educator since 1995, she has completed three 500-hour teacher training programs. She has served as the Yoga Spokesperson for Weight Watchers: Yoga, Yoga for Dummies, and Crunch: Yoga, and was the yoga columnist for Health magazine for three years. Her work has appeared in nearly every major yoga and wellness publication. In 2018, she co-created Just Breathe, a yoga, breathwork, and meditation initiative in partnership with Oprah Magazine. She is a recipient of USC’s Sustainability Across the Curriculum grant and the Paul Podvin Scholarship from the Graduate Theological Union. She currently serves as Interim Director of Events and Operations in Stanford’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life, where she also teaches weekly contemplative practice classes.
Guided Meditation
Thursdays, 5:30 pm: CIRCLE Sanctuary (Old Union, 3rd floor)
Evening Guided Meditation is designed to offer basic meditation skills, to encourage regular meditation practice, to help deepen self-reflection, and to offer instructions on how meditation can be useful during stressful and uncertain times. All sessions are led by Andy Acker.
Spring 2026 Contemplative Program Schedule
Mondays @5:30PM : Candlelight Yoga
Memorial Church
April 6, April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18, June 1
Tuesdays @5:30PM : Relax and Center with Yoga
CIRCLE Sanctuary
April 7, April 14, April 21, April 28, May 5, May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2
Tuesdays @9:00PM : Yogifest
CIRCLE Sanctuary
April 7, April 14, April 21, April 28, May 5, May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2
Wednesdays @5:30PM : All-Levels Yoga
CIRCLE Sanctuary
April 8, April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13, May 20, May 27, June 3
Thursdays @5:30PM : Guided Meditation
CIRCLE Sanctuary
April 9, April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7, May 14, May 21, May 28, June 4
